Safe Internet Day 2016, Google Awards 2GB of Drive Space to Users!

Safer Internet Day is an event for promoting safer and responsible usage of online technologies among young people. It also raises awareness of emerging concerns such as cyberbullying and social networking privacy. The theme of Safer Internet Day 2016 is “Play your part for a better Internet!” and it holds today 9th of February, 2016.

Today Google is advocating “Safer Internet Day” by offering 2 gigabytes of free Google Drive space for users that complete a security audit of their accounts. This is the second time that Google offered 2GB of free Drive space for performing a security audit to promote “Safer Internet Day.”

Files that are stored in Google Drive are always encrypted in transit and while at rest in Google’s data centers. However, the security checkup ensures that you are making the most of the protection you already get from Google. Running through the security checkup takes a couple minutes.

The security checkup starts by asking you to log in with your Google account credentials. After you log in, the first step is to check your recovery information so Google can get in touch with you if there’s unusual activity in your account or if you are accidentally locked out — which includes your phone number and an alternative email.

The second step lets you review the devices connected to your Google Account. If any of these devices look unfamiliar or you do not have access to certain devices, then you can fully disable it from this section:

Disabling access for less secure apps is the third step. There are some apps and devices that use less secure sign-in technology, which could make your Google Account more vulnerable. Google recommends that you disable access for those types of apps.

The fourth step is to check your account permissions. This feature lets you review apps, websites and devices that are connected to your Google Account. If some of them look unfamiliar, then you can easily remove its permissions.

After completing that step, Google will give you 2GB of free Drive storage to your Google Account. Fortunately, the 2GB of additional storage will be a permanent addition to your account. Not only is your Google Drive space used for the cloud storage service, it is also the allotment associated with your Gmail and Google Photos account. (Forbes)